The True Meaning of Family
by EmmyR
Summary: Ziva is faced with an ultimatum. What will she choose?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS**

**A/N: This story takes place in season 7 after Good Cop Bad Cop  
**

A month after the team brought Ziva back from Somalia, they started to see a glimmer of hope. It had taken her a while to stop jumping at noises, tensing up when a man stood too close. But now she was starting to look and act more like the Ziva they knew: she was wearing make up, smiling more, and even cracking jokes. She had applied earlier in the week to become an NCIS agent, having emailed her resignation to her father. All was good, until Vance interrupted their morning banter with seven words.

"Ziva, Director David in MTAC for you," he called.

Tony and McGee turned to stare at Ziva, who had paled, and stood shakily, putting on her "Mossad" face, no emotion, just determination. They were frozen, watching her as she climbed the stairs. Once the door closed, Gibbs walked in.

"Got a dead Petty Officer, grab your gear," he barked, finishing off his coffee. When neither of them moved, he raised his voice. "DiNozzo, McGee!" he said sharply. They jumped at his voice, and he continued. "Where's David, we've got a case?"

"Boss, Ziva's, uh, in MTAC with Director David," Tim said.

"What?" Gibbs asked, then sighed. He should have known that the director of Mossad wouldn't let go of his best agent so easily. But they had other matters to attend to . "Alright, they'll probably be in their for a while. McGee, you're with me. Tony, wait here for Ziva. If she's okay to come to the scene, bring her right away. If you don't think she can handle it, call me. Got it? Let's go," he ordered without waiting for a reply. As he and McGee left for the scene, he thought of Ziva. He knew that she was as stubborn as they come, never took time off for injuries, never talked about her problems. She was a lot like him, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. But then they got to the scene and he knew it was time to focus.

Back at NCIS, Tony was trying to finish up some paperwork, but his mind was on his partner. Alone with two Directors would make anyone sweat. But she would be fine, he tried to convince himself. An hour after McGee and Gibbs left, he heard a door slam, and Ziva walked quickly back to her desk, eyes bright and mouth grim.

"Vance said we have a case?" she asked, grabbing her bag and gun.

"Yeah, you okay to go?" he asked, concerned.

"I am fine," she said in a clipped tone.

"Okay, let me call Gibbs and get the address," he said.

Ziva just nodded, still shaking. She was in shock at her father's words and intended actions, but she knew that she had to focus. If she wanted to become a true NCIS agent, she had to prove that she was worthy.

"Hey, boss. Ziva and I are leaving now, where we headed? Really? Okay, boss," Tony said, closing his phone. He looked up at the Israeli. "Gibbs and McGee are finishing up, they'd be done before we got there. So McGee's going to send us the info so we can get started."

Ziva just nodded, dropping her bag and putting her gun away as she got back to work.

Gibbs and McGee got back about half an hour later. "What do we got?" Gibbs asked.

Ziva stood. "We have Petty Officer Drake Kent, 24. Last scene with his girlfriend at a club in Virginia. He drove home, she took a taxi."

They continued to gather evidence until it was time to go home. McGee and Tony left at the same time, leaving Ziva and Gibbs alone. Ziva stayed at her desk, working hard until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped slightly, then turned to look at Gibbs.

"Boss?" she asked, confused.

"What are you still doing here? Go home, get some rest," he said.

"I am fine, Gibbs, just catching up on some paperwork."

"If you say so. I'm going out for coffee. Want one?"

"Thank you, that would be nice," she said, surprised at the offer.

Gibbs just nodded and left, headed for his favorite coffee place. He was still worried about her. She'd had that same look in her eyes that he saw through his scope in Somalia; hopelessness and despair. Whatever her father had said to her today, it wasn't good. He paid for the drinks, and went back to NCIS. When he got close to Ziva's desk, he heard her talking furiously in Hebrew on the telephone He paused, then jumped in shock when she stood, shouted into the phone, then slammed it down. About to walk over to her, she started punching her desk. Red flag, Gibbs though.

"Ziva," he said softly, setting the drinks on Tony's desk before standing in front of her. When she didn't respond, he barked "David!" using his 'boss' voice. Sure enough, she stopped and looked up at him. He stared at her, then realized she looked like a cornered animal, searching for a way out. Then the fire went out, and she collapsed onto her chair. He went around to the other side of the desk, and sat next to her. "Ziva, what's going on?" he asked. She shook her head, so he put a finger under her chin and forced her to look at him, then asked thequestion that had been plaguing him all day. "Ziver, what happened in MTAC today with your father?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS**

**A/N: Oh, and I forgot to mention in the last chapter, if you are an Eli fan, I'm sorry but this is not the story for you, I really don't like the guy.  
**

She shook her head slightly. She didn't want to tell him. Saying it out loud meant that she had to deal with it, and she wasn't sure how.

"Ziver?" he prodded, using his nickname for her, and it worked.

Her shoulders sagged, and she knew that she had to. "My father told me that if I gained American citizenship and became an NCIS agent, he will revoke my citizenship to Israel, which would prevent me from going back, even to visit my family. He said that I would no longer be his daughter."

Gibbs's felt a surge of hatred towards the man. Not a day went by that he didn't miss Kelly, and he would do anything to get her back. So, for Eli to disown his own daughter, he didn't comprehend. But now he was able to understand why Ziva was so upset. She still had family she stayed in contact with, and had lost enough of them ( her mother, Tali, and Ari) to know how hard it was to lose family. But he also knew that she considered the U.S. her home now, and she didn't want to give that up. It was an impossible choice.

"How can I choose, Gibbs?" she voiced the exact question he had been thinking. "I love my family and my homeland, but in my heart, I no longer belong to Mossad."

"How much time did he give you to decide?" Gibbs asked.

"He will call tomorrow at 0800." She took a deep breath. "I have less than 12 hours to decide the rest of my life."

"Don't decide this second, okay? Go home, get some sleep, try to relax a little. Be back in by 0700, and I'll be here, okay?"

Ziva just nodded. She picked up her bag, gun, and shield, and went to the elevators. Once she got there, she turned and looked back at him, and gave him a sad smile. "Thank you, Gibbs. You have been more of a father to me that Eli ever was."

Gibbs gave her a rare smile, walked up to her and kissed her forehead. "I'll see you in the morning, Ziver."

As soon as the elevator doors closed behind her, he pulled out his cell and called his Senior Agent.

"Yeah, boss?" Tony asked when he answered.

"DiNozzo, I know it's short notice, but can you be in by 0630?"

"Sure, boss. Something with the case?"

"No, but we do have a problem," Gibbs answered.

"What's going on, Gibbs?"

"Director David is causing problems again. So I'll see you at 0630?"

"Sure thing. Want me to call McGee and Abby?"

Gibbs grinned. Tony may act as a clown most of the time, but when it came down to it, he would do anything for the team. "I'll call Abby, you got McGee."

"Got it, boss. See you tomorrow." Tony hung up. He was a bit rattled. Director David causing problems could only mean he was screwing with Ziva. He finished off his beer and took another bite of pizza, then called Tim.

"Yeah?" McGee answered.

"McGee, its Tony. We've got a problem. Can you be at the office 6:30?" he asked.

"Yeah, what's the problem?"

"Not entirely sure. Gibbs just called and said that Eli is causing issues again and wants us in early."

Tim growled. "When she's in Africa, he's nowhere to be found, but now that she's safe, he cares again," he said bitterly.

"Pretty much. I wonder what he's up to this time," Tony speculated.

"Well, if Gibbs is upset, then it must be bad. Probably a way to get Ziva to go back."

"Sounds about right. I'll see you tomorrow, Probie."

The next morning, Tony and McGee walked into NCIS at the same time, and were shocked to find Gibbs, Ducky, and Abby there already. They set their bags and guns down, and Ducky decided to start.

"Alright, Jethro, now that we are all awake and here, perhaps you could let us know what is going on?"

Gibbs nodded. "Alright, guys. Eli David told Ziva that unless she leaves us and returns to Mossad, he'll revoke her citizenship to Israel, and ban her from the country. She wouldn't get to see her family again."

Complete silence met his words. Tony was shocked; of all the things he was expecting, this wasn't on the list. He hated feeling this helpless. They could save her when she was in Africa, could protect her when she was framed for murder. But there was nothing they could do against manipulation.

"What can we do?" Abby whispered. Then stronger, "I mean, besides going to Israel and giving Eli a swift kick in the-"

"Abigail!" Ducky interrupted. "There's nothing we can do. We can't give her the same ultimatum without sinking to his level. All we can do is be there for her. Tell her we will support her no matter her decision.

"Ducky's right," McGee said. "She's one of us no matter what. When does she have to give her father her decision?" he asked Gibbs.

"She'll be here at 7. He'll call at 8."

**A/N: So, I'm sure that's probably not legal for Eli to do (or that he could pull it off) but I had to put it in there for the story, so I'm sorry if I offended anyone with my lack of factual Israeli laws. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Still don't own NCIS **

**A/N: I changed things a bit, and pretended that Ziva's application didn't get approved at the end of 7x4. Hope you guys don't mind.  
**

When Ziva walked into NCIS at 7, she was shocked to find that Ducky, Abby, McGee, Tony, and Gibbs were all waiting for her. All of them had grim looks and seemed afraid to look at her

"Gibbs?" she asked, wondering if they were here to demand that she stay.

"Ziva, I told the team what's going on," Gibbs said.

"Boss, I-"

"This affects them, too. Now, we aren't going to force you to stay, Ziva. We love you too much to make you chose between us and your family.

"Ziva," Abby started. "I know how hard of a choice this must be. I wish I could demand that you not leave, but I don't want to manipulate you like your father, but if we just let you go, you may not think that we care, so…"

"What Abby is trying to say," Tony interrupted, looking at his partner, "is that you should know that the only reason we aren't begging and pleading for you to stay is that we know it has to be your choice, not ours."

Ziva was holding back the tears that were threatening to fall. Her father had been cold as ice and hard as stone. He hadn't cared about her in years. But in front of her, she had a family. It was a completely dysfunctional family, but it worked for them. She had Ducky as the doting grandfather, Abby and McGee were the younger brother and sister, Tony was…well, complicated, as much as she hated that word. Not brother (that would be too weird, but more than friend). And then there was Gibbs. More of a father in the few years she had been at NCIS than Eli had been in nearly three decades. Without any of this family in her life, it would be dull and grey. She knew she needed them.

"My dear, say something," Ducky urged.

"I spoke last night with my family in Tel Aviv. It seems that they are as outraged as I am about Eli's threats. They have said that, should my citizenship be revoked, they will gladly meet me at our house in Jordan when I wish to see them." She paused and looked at each of the faces one at a time. "I have chosen to stay at NCIS."

For a moment, no one moved, then Abby threw herself at Ziva, and all the men smiled. They had hoped this would be her choice, but hadn't been sure.

"What made you decide to stay?" Tony asked

"You guys are my family. When I was held by Saleem, you came for me, not Mossad, not even Eli. Most of my family does not know how to be a family. I made the mistake of questioning you guys once, I will never do it again."

Each of them gave her a hug in turn; Gibbs was last.

"I'm glad you're staying," he said quietly.

"Could you do me a favor?" she asked quickly.

"What do you need?"

"Could you come into MTAC with me?"

"Of course, Ziver."

When 0800 rolled around, Vance called down again, "Ziva, Director David in MTAC for you."

She stood, and looked at Gibbs. He nodded, and told Tony and McGee to keep working the case, then followed her upstairs. When they walked in, he had to work to keep the grin off his face. He was thrilled that they weren't going to lose Ziva again, but this was still trying for her.

Ziva nodded to the tech, who flipped a switch, and Eli's face appeared on the screen.

"Well, my daughter. Have you thought about our last conversation?"

"Yes, Director," she said, keeping it professional. "My resignation to Mossad still stands. I choose to stay in America. Forever."

"Ziva!" Eli yelled. "I am your father. You have to return, what about your family?"

"My true family is here. If you ban me from my family, at least, those that are still alive, you will have to answer to that. Not I."

"Ziva David," he said, in a tone that sent shivers down Gibbs's spine, "if you think that you can walk away from Mossad, you are gravely mistaken. I will see to it that you regret this decision, Officer David!" he yelled. Ziva motioned to the tech to cut the feed.

"Ziva?" Gibbs asked gently. When she didn't answer, he walked in front of her and saw her eyes shut tightly, and she was taking deep breaths. Realizing that she was holding back the sobs that were fighting to come out, he felt his blood boil again. He motioned everyone out of the room, and once the door was closed behind them, he pulled her close like he did with Abby. "Let it out, Ziver. Don't bury it." Finally, she let go and cried like nothing he had ever seen from her. "Its going to be alright," he said.

She pulled out of his embrace and wiped her eyes. "No, it won't. You heard Eli. He is not going to just let me leave. He will do something, you know he will."

"We will protect you, no matter what he does or threatens to do," Gibbs said.

"No, Gibbs. I can't let you risk yourself and the team like that, not when I know the resources my father has. I am sorry." With that, she left the room. Gibbs made to follow her, but was interceded by Vance.

"Ah, Agent Gibbs. I have something for you." he said, holding out a sheet of paper.

"What is it, Leon?" Gibbs asked impatiently, wanting to catch Ziva.

"Ziva's agent application. Its just been approved. Took me a bit longer to get it through the system, since she's not a citizen yet, but its here now."

Gibbs took it and stared. He nearly wanted to laugh. He couldn't have gotten this an hour ago? "Thanks, Leon," he said, before, turning and running into the bullpen.

"Boss, what's going on?" Tony asked.

"You guys seen Ziva?" he demanded.

"Yeah, she took off like the building was on fire," Tony said with a frown.

"McGee, can you trace her cell?"

"Sure thing, boss," Tim said, already starting the trace. "She's almost back at her apartment, boss."

"Alright. I'll be back later. You two keep working the case." Gibbs didn't wait for an answer before running out of the building.

Ziva was nearly back at her apartment, when she heard a ding from her cell. Looking at it, she saw that she had a missed call from Eli, and a voicemail. Guess the music was too loud to hear it ring. Turning down the CD, she typed the password for her voicemail. Listening to it, her blood ran cold. This was going to get bad.

**Remember: reviews encourage me to update quickly *hint*hint* :-)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Still don't own NCIS**

Gibbs knew that he broke nearly a dozen laws on the way to Ziva's apartment, but he didn't care. When he finally got there, he pounded on the door.

"It is open, Gibbs," he heard her call. He went inside to find her feverishly packing.

"Ziva, what the hell are you doing?" he demanded.

She looked up sharply, then went to the table, where her cell and a new prepaid one lay. She flipped open hers, put it on speaker and called voicemail. She put in her password, and Eli's voice came out very harshly.

"Ziva, I have tried to be understanding, but enough coddling. You will be on a plane home tonight, or I will send one of your old teammates to D.C., maybe continue the work your brother started? I have the resources, you know I do. But if you come home now, I will forget about this. The choice is yours, Officer David." The voice ended, and Ziva slammed it shut.

"That is the least veiled threat I have ever heard my father make. Gibbs, you…OUR team has lost plenty because of my family. I cannot be responsible for you, or Tony, or McGee, or Abby, or Ducky being killed like Kate."

"So you are going back?" he asked quietly.

"No," she said, surprising him. "I am moving to a hotel, and I will find my father's assassin before he can hurt me or any of you." She took her old phone and crushed it, then handed him the number for her new phone. "I know you'll want McGee to be tracking me, but please, only give this number to the other four."

"Ziva," he started, unable to believe what was going on.

"Gibbs," she interrupted. " I wish this wasn't happening. But it is. Hopefully, I'll be back at NCIS soon. If I still have a job?" she asked hesitantly, worried that he would say she couldn't come back.

Gibbs sighed and pulled out the paper Vance had given him that morning. Handing it to her, he said, "You've been approved to be an agent. You're officially a probie."

Ziva took the paper, and started laughing. She wanted to laugh and cry and punch things all at once. Of all the times! " Gibbs, I am so sorry. I know you have a rule against that, but I am."

"Not your fault, Ziva. I'll talk to Vance, get you some time off. And you have us, including Ducky and Abby if you need something tracked or evidence processed. Basically, we'll be the support.

"Thank you, Gibbs. Tell the others that I am sorry I let so quickly?" she asked.

"Of course." Looking at the Israeli, he pulled her into a hug. "I want a progress report every other day. I'm still your boss, understand?"

"Got it."

Gibbs's cell rang. "Yeah, Gibbs. What, DiNozzo? Well go get him!" he hung up. "They got a lead in the case, I have to go. You take care of yourself, got it, Ziva?"

"Yes," she whispered. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, then left. Ziva stared at the door after he left and wondered when she stopped being the Mossad officer who preferred to work alone.

By the time Gibbs got back to NCIS, the petty officer's girlfriend's brother had confessed to killing him. Tony and McGee were finishing the paperwork. Tony looked up when Gibbs walked in.

"What's going on, boss? Where's Ziva?" Tony asked, completely serious.

"McGee, get Ducky. Need to talk to all of you in Abby's lab."

Tony and Tim looked at each other, worried, then McGee hurried to Autopsy, and Tony followed Gibbs. A few minutes later, all four were staring at Gibbs, wondering what was going on.

"Alright, listen up. In MTAC today, Eli David told Ziva that she couldn't leave Mossad. When she got home, she had a voicemail from him, saying that unless she went home, he would send someone, and continue what Ari started. So she's still in town, trying to flush out the assassin. This is her new number, don't let anyone else see it, its for us five only. She'll call in every other day, and I told her that if she needs something, any of us would be there for her, whether its tracking, background checks, processing evidence, or medical support," he said, looking at the agents, then Abby, then Ducky in turn. "Any questions?"

"Yeah, just one," Abby said. "Is Eli sending someone after us or Ziva?"

"Not eve she knows. But you know Ziva. She'll pull any heroics she has to in order to protect us. That's why we have to help her. Alright everyone, back to work. I'll keep you updated."

Gibbs and Ducky left the room, but the agents stayed. For a moment, none of them spoke.

"What the hell just happened?" Tony asked suddenly.

"Well, I'd say that Ziva has to become one with her assassin days in order to stay at NCIS, Gibbs is worried, and we have no idea what's going to happen in the next few weeks," Abby concluded.

"That about sums it up," McGee said.

"Yes, but what can we do? I mean, I feel like there's nothing we can do this time around. But there's always been something that we could do," Tony said, frustrated.

"You heard Gibbs. Ziva's going to need help, and she'll call when she does, and then you'll have something to do," Abby reassured.

"That's not enough!" Tony vented. Then he sighed. "But I guess it has to be, huh? Damn it!" he yelled, storming out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Still don't own NCIS **

The next week or so passed painfully slow for all of them. Ziva was true to her word, calling in every other day to talk to Gibbs. Occasionally she would call Tony or McGee for help, but it was computer work, running cell phone traces or background checks, not the work they would rather be doing to help her.

The tenth day after she had left, Gibbs and the team were still at work. They had just finished another case, and they were all tired.

"Go home, get some rest, its nearly 2100," he said tiredly, then looked at his phone. Ziva hadn't missed an update yet, but tonight was the night for one, and she hadn't called yet, which made him nervous.

Tony and McGee nodded and started packing up their bags. Just as they stood to leave, though, Gibbs's phone rang.

"Yeah, Gibbs," he answered quickly.

"Gibbs, I need help!" he heard Ziva hiss.

He put the phone on speaker and slammed it down. "Ziva, slow down. What's going on?" he demanded, and the agents stopped dead in their tracks to stare at him.

"I need Ducky and Abby, right away. I have some evidence from our assassin I think could lead to an ID," she said quickly.

"Okay, what do you need Ducky for?" he asked.

"I was injured getting the evidence. I would stitch it myself, but I am unable to reach it."

"Where should we meet you?" he asked, grabbing his keys.

"I am on my way in, and going up the stairs. I'll be there in a minute," she said, then the line went dead. Gibbs growled and turned off the phone. He and the agents looked up as the door to the stairs opened, and Ziva walked in. She had her hair pulled back into a bun, and was wearing a black jacket and sweater, dark jeans, and heavy boots. She hadn't even passed her desk, though, when she sank to her knees with a groan. Gibbs vaulted out from behind his desk.

"DiNozzo, get Ducky. McGee, Abby!" he barked, and the agent's scattered. He sank down next to Ziva and placed a hand on a wet spot on her back. Pulling it away, he saw that it was blood. He swore, then gently pulled off her jacket.

"Bastard owes me for a new one," she gritted.

"I didn't know any better, I'd say you've been around DiNozzo too long, picking up his sense of humor," Gibbs said with a grin, trying to keep her talking till Ducky got up there. He grabbed a towel from Tony's desk and used it to staunch the bleeding.

"Boss! Ducky left, but Palmer's still here," Tony called as he ran into the bullpen, dragging Palmer by the arm. "I called him, he's on his way back in."

As soon as Jimmy saw Ziva, he dropped to his knees next to her, and took a look at her back. "We have to get her to Autopsy, there's no exit wound, the bullet's still in there," he said to no one in particular. "Help me get her up?" Tony ran over, and the two of them helped her stand. McGee and Abby ran in.

"Ziva, oh my God, are you alright, what happened?" Abby shrieked.

"I will be fine, Abby. In my bag are photos, prints, DNA, and a gun that is not mine. Think it could lead to an ID?"

"If it can, I will find it, Ziva," she whispered as Tony and Palmer half carried her to the elevator to take her to autopsy, Gibbs following close behind. McGee grabbed Ziva's bag, and put an arm around Abby, gently leading her to the lab.

As soon as they got to Autopsy, Tony and Gibbs helped her onto one of the tables, then Palmer went to find sleeping pills.

"We don't have time for that," Ziva sad sharply. "Just localize it!"

"Ziva, I don't have local antiseptic," Jimmy insisted.

"Then just pull it out!" she snapped. The three men stared at her. Gibbs knew how much it hurt to have a bullet removed without painkillers. He pulled out a bottle of Tylenol, and handed it to her with a bottle of water.

"To make me feel better," he said when she was about to protest. She nodded and threw back three tablets, then tossed the bottle to Tony. Jimmy had the necessary instrument ready, looking fearfully at Gibbs. Gibbs nodded, and took out his handkerchief. Handing it to her, he ordered "Bite," then grabbed her hands. "And squeeze." Once she was ready, he nodded to Jimmy, who went to work. They had to admire her pain tolerance. The last time Gibbs had had to do this, he nearly broke someone's finger. But Ziva was barely hurting him, and she wasn't screaming, just grunting and groaning in pain. It took a few tries, but Palmer finally extracted the bullet, and Ziva let go of Gibbs, and pulled out the handkerchief.

"That wasn't the first time you've had a bullet removed without painkillers," Gibbs stated.

"Former Mossad, remember? I've been shot multiple times, and we were often in a remote area."

Gibbs nodded, but what he was about to say was interrupted when Ducky walked in. "Ziva, my dear, what are you doing on my table?" he asked, then saw Jimmy putting the bloody bullet into a jar for Abby. "My God, what happened?"

"I am fine, Ducky," Ziva tried to reassure him.

"Well, I will be the judge of that," Ducky said, digging through his bag until he pulled out a syringe and a bottle of liquid. He prepped it, the approached her back. "Just a little stick dear."

"Ducky, if I can handle a bullet removal, I think I can handle a bit of sewing without a local."

"True, but I must insist." He went to work sewing the hole in her back, while Palmer was using wet cloths to clean off her back.

"Alright, Ziva, what's going on?" Gibbs asked.

**A/N: Okay, I didn't intend to leave a cliffhanger, but I had to update, and Ziva's explanation takes a while, so that'll be for me to write tomorrow. Want it sooner? Hit the button below...lol**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Still don't own NCIS**

Ziva took a deep breath, and started. "I have been following a lead for two days. Tailed him to his apartment. When he left, I broke in to look around. I took some samples and photos, but he had forgotten something and came back." She paused. "I have been spoiled, working for NCIS. I am used to having someone to alert me, I forgot how to work alone, and it nearly cost me my life. I must be getting sloppy," she muttered, angry at herself. She looked up at the four men staring at her and continued. "When he came back, we fought for a bit, and I got shot. I was able to grab his gun, but he ran off before I could catch him."

"Don't worry about it, Ziva. We'll find him," Tony reassured her. She shook her head.

"I do not know if he is still in town, or if he will go after one of you now that I have made him mad. I have to go see Abby," she said, sliding off the table.

"She's been working what you gave her," McGee said, walking in. Handing her one of her sweaters, he said, "Grabbed your spare, hope you don't mind me going through your desk."

She nodded in thanks, then held up her hands, where there was skin and blood under the nails. "She does not have all of it. I was not wearing gloves, and I scratched him. I thought I would get it to Abby for DNA so that I could wash my hands."

The men nodded. Ziva went and thanked Ducky and Palmer for taking care of her, then she and the agents went to the lab.

"Hello, Abby," she said calmly, and laughed when the Goth threw herself at her. When she was done hugging, Abby pulled back.

"Okay, so I've been running the photo recognition, gun registration and prints. You said there was DNA?" she asked, and nodded when Ziva held up her hands. Abby took samples and placed them in a jar, then took the bloody bullet that Gibbs handed her.

"Hand me those photos, Abs?" Ziva asked, and Abby passed them over. "I thought you'd want to see this, Gibbs," she said, handing him one.

"Ari?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes, that is Ari, and next to him is our assassin. I remember him from when I was younger, but I do not know his name."

"His name," Abby said when her computer beeped, "is Ben Chazan, according to face recognition, gun registration, and his prints."

"Ben," Ziva whispered. "He was Ari's best friend, they even joined Mossad at the same time. But I have never worked with him. I guess my father thought it best to find someone with personal anger towards me." She looked again at Abby. "Are all of the prints his?" she asked.

Abby shook her head. "No, I'm still running another set, but they haven't gotten a match yet." As soon as she said that, her computer beeped. She turned to look, and then whirled to stare at Gibbs.

Gibbs frowned and went to see whose prints she had matched. He saw the name, and his frown deepened. "Put it up, Abs," he whispered. She did, and Eli's face appeared on the screen.

Ziva paled, and gripped Tony's arm, which he put around her as he glared at the screen.

"He is here," she said, feeling herself go into shock. She was about to say something when the world went black.

Tony caught his partner before she hit the ground. "Someone get Ducky," he yelled. Tim flew out the door and Gibbs ran over to them. He gently lifted his Probie, and told Tony and Abby to clear off the couch in her office. They hurried to obey, and he laid her down. McGee and Ducky hurried in, and the older man looked at Gibbs.

"Jethro, what happened?" he asked, kneeling next to his patient.

"Shock, Duck. Just too much to deal with right away," Gibbs answered.

"Abigail, would you get me a cold, wet cloth?" Ducky asked. Abby passed him one, and he pressed it against her face and neck. Her eyes snapped open.

"Ducky, what happened?" she asked quickly.

"You fainted, dear," he said gently. "You have to rest," he protested as she moved to sit up.

"We don't have time for me to rest. I have to find Ben and Eli."

"Jethro?" Ducky looked at his friend for support. Gibbs knelt by the couch.

"Ziva, when was the last time you slept?" he asked.

"I do not remember, why does that matter?"

"When was the last time you ate something?" he pressed.

"I do not know!" Ziva snapped.

"Okay, you are going to take a nap while DiNozzo gets food for everyone. McGee and I will look for those two," Gibbs said, and Tony took the hint and ran out to get food.

"No, Gibbs, that is not-"

"That wasn't a request, David," he said sharply. "You just got shot and have massive blood loss. You will rest and eat. You can join us in the squad room in two hours."

Ziva closed her mouth and glared at the floor, nodding. Gibbs had everyone leave the room, then sat next to her.

"Don't worry, Ziva. We'll keep working while you rest. We're going to find both of them.

"I am more worried about them finding one of you," she admitted.

Gibbs shook his head. This woman had too much to deal with for someone of her age. He felt his fatherly instincts kick in. "You've been carrying the worry for this team for too long. Let us worry for a while. You rest up." He kissed her head and she nodded. By the time he left the lab, she was out cold.

**A/N: Like it so far? Hate it? Let me know!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS**

When Ziva woke up two hours later, she groaned. Part of her really wanted to go back to bed, but the pull of stitches in her back reminded her why she had to get up. She stood and gently peeled off the last of her ruined sweater. She mentally cursed Chazan. That was her favorite black sweater. And black leather coat, which had a lovely hole in it now. She new that it was silly to be so upset, but she was. She cautiously pulled on her spare shirt, biting her lip at the pain. Finally, it was on and she went up to the bullpen. Walking in, she could tell that the team hadn't made much progress.

Gibbs looked up as she walked in, then glanced at his watch. 1 hour 58 minutes. Not as long as he would have liked; but to be honest, longer than he expected. He pointed to the pizza box that was on her desk, silently ordering her to eat. He was again surprised when she obeyed without question. She had to be feeling off.

"News?" she asked as she took a bite from a slice.

"None. Yet," Tony said, tacking on the last word when she glared at him.

She sighed. She knew that it wasn't the team's fault that she had pissed off her father. She looked at her watch. It was almost 2am. "Go home, guys. Its late, we can keep going tomorrow." She didn't want to give up tonight, but knew that they needed sleep.

Tony looked at her worried expression, and beckoned her to follow him. As soon as they were out of earshot, he started. "Okay, Zi. First you say that you think they'll come after us," he said, not bothering to say who 'they' were. "And then you tell us to go home. What's going on in that head of yours?"

Ziva sighed. She must be tired if Tony was thinking clearer than her. "All I know is that you guys have been working twice as hard the last two weeks to pick up the slack for me, and now its 2 am, you all have been here for what, nearly twenty hours, and you need sleep, not stay up and try to help me find my father."

"Wow, that was nearly as rambling as Abby usually does," Tony commented.

Ziva rolled her eyes. "Tony…"

"I know, I know. Look, first, if you're feeling guilty for not working the last week or so, don't. I'd say finding your father and his assassin is a bit more important. And we've pulled worse hours because of cases that are less than half as personal. But, if you really want us to call it quits for tonight, we can."

"We will give it another hour, and if we do not find anything by then, you will all go home," she decided. She turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm.

"Ziva, everything will be fine, alright? We'll figure this out, and it'll be okay," he said, voice low.

"You cannot know that, Tony," she snapped. "My father-"

"I know. I don't know what your father is capable of, but I do know you, and I know what you are capable of."

She looked into his eyes and saw the confidence there. She smiled. It had been so long since someone (other than Gibbs) had had that much confidence in her. She found she missed it. "Thanks, Tony," she said softly, and the two partners went back.

Gibbs looked up when the two came back in, and looked questioningly at her. She nodded, and they went back to work. Ziva sighed and sat at her desk. She was tired and in pain, but that couldn't be helped. She was about to stand up again when her work phone rang.

Everyone froze. They weren't sure who was calling, but they all new that it was one of two people, since no one else would think that Ziva was at work at 2 in the morning. Ziva took a deep breath, then answered it.

"David," she said firmly.

"Ziva, my daughter," Eli said happily. When Ben told him that he had been forced to shot her, he had worried that it would have hurt her worse.

Ziva frowned, then looked at McGee, signaling him to trace the call, which he had already started doing. "Father, what do you want?" she demanded. "I mean, besides my head on a platter?"

"I want you to come home."

"I am home, Eli. I do not know what else to do to prove that to you."

"How about you explain it to me. In person?" he offered.

"Where should I meet you?" she asked, which caused Tony and Gibbs to stand and stare at her with identical frowns.

"There will be a car outside the Navy Yard in fifteen minutes. I understand that because of the…interaction you had with Chazan earlier, you wish for a member of your team to accompany you, that would be fine. Fifteen minutes, my dear," he said before hanging up.

Ziva cursed in Hebrew and slammed her phone down. "What did he say, Ziva?" Gibbs asked.

"H wants to talk, face to face. He will be here in fifteen minutes to pick me up. Though he did say I could bring someone if I wanted," she added.

Gibbs nodded. "Who would you like?"

She weighed her options. McGee would have been okay, but there most likely wouldn't be technology issues, which was what he was best at. Tony would have been good, but her father couldn't stand him after their last interaction, and she needed her father to leave as peacefully as possible.

"Would you mind?" she asked Gibbs. He would be perfect. He had a commanding presence that even affected her father, and could handle himself if things got dicey

"Course not, Ziva," he said. They spent the next few minutes getting wired with audio and video. Finally, it was time to start heading out. Tony and McGee each gave her a squeeze on her shoulder.

As soon as they got into the elevator, she flipped the e-stop switch. "Gibbs, I am afraid," she admitted. She knew that she had to be honest with him, now of all times.

"Well, seeing as you were shot a few hours ago, fear is understandable," Gibbs said calmly.

"No," she argued, shaking her head. "I am afraid for you. I asked you to come for selfish reasons. But you have to know what my father is capable of."

"Ziver, he sent his daughter to kill her brother, then chose to leave her in a prison camp in Africa. I think I know what he is capable of."

She nodded. He did know more than most did. "Just…watch your back, okay? I have a bad feeling about this," she said, flipping the switch back on.

Gibbs nodded, and so did she. They left, and a limo pulled up next to them as soon as they left the Navy Yard. He glanced at Ziva, who nodded to him, then went in. He followed and sat next to her, they sat across from Director David and Ben Chazan.

**A/N: So, this ended up going in a direction that I wasn't expecting, to be honest. Let me know what you think, I'm working on the next chapter now. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS, sadly.**

"Ziva, my daughter, you continue to amaze me!" Eli enthused with a smile. "I thought for certain that you would bring young DiNozzo."

"You did not ask me here to see who I would bring," she spat. "What do you want?"

"Such hostility. Do not worry, we will talk. But I do not like discussion business in the car. It is hard to get a feel for the other person, you know?"

"So, where are you taking us?" Gibbs asked.

"Agent Gibbs. My daughter has always spoken very highly of you. I do have one question for you, though," he said.

"And what would that be?" Gibbs smiled a humorless smile.

"Why take the credit for killing Ari? Why not allow Ziva the glory of having done her job and her duty?" Eli asked, true curiosity apparent in his voice.

"There is no glory in having to kill your brother, Director," he answered, looking at the other man, then sneaking a glance at Ziva. He wondered how someone as evil as Eli could have a daughter that was so good. "But you never answered my question."

"Ah yes, where am I taking you, right? Well, I assume you want me to say it aloud so that your friends can hear you, maybe send the cavalry, as you Americans say? I hate to disappoint you, but NCIS is very predictable. We've been jamming you since you sat down. Your friends cannot hear you." He sighed. "Agent Gibbs, I apologize for my daughter. I did not expect her to involve her team, I had thought it would be just her."

"Why are you apologizing?" Gibbs asked, getting a bad feeling in his gut.

"I am taking Ziva home. We are on our way to an airstrip where one of my planes will take me and my daughter home."

"That is abduction," Gibbs snapped when Ziva paled.

"No, it is not, Agent Gibbs. I am merely recalling one of my agents. She is not an NCIS agent nor an American citizen," Eli said smugly.

"I hate to wipe that grin off your face, but you are mistaken. Ziva was approved to be an agent already. And there is a record of her resignation to Mossad. You have no right to force her to return to Israel."

"She is my daughter. I have the right as a father to allow her to return."

"But she does not wish to return. I believe she has made that clear," Gibbs said firmly.

As soon as he said that, the two agents realized that they were slowing down. Looking out the window, they saw that they had reached the airstrip.

"Well, maybe I have not asked her the right questions." He nodded to Chazan who leveled a gun at Gibbs. "My daughter, will you stop being selfish and return home with your father?" he asked with a smug grin on his face.

Gibbs risked a glance at Ziva, and worried that she was about to pass out. Her face was a sickly pale with a sheen of fear sweat, and she was shaking. "All right," she whispered.

"I am sorry, my daughter, I did not hear you," Eli said, gloating.

Her face hardened. "I said all right, I will return to Israel with you, Director. But you must allow Agent Gibbs to return to NCIS unharmed."

Eli sighed. "You have changed. I did not think that you had a conscience anymore. I thought your training taught you not to use such a thing, it is a crutch. But very well, Chazan will return Agent Gibbs to the Navy Yard."

The car stopped, and the two Israelis got out, but still held the gun on Gibbs. As soon as both agents were out of the limo, Eli continued. "Alright, Agent Gibbs. Now, I wish to insure my own safety at this moment. So, take out your handcuffs, if you please, and place them on my daughter. Behind her back, please."

Gibbs growled low in his throat, but did as he was told. Thankfully, he had foreseen that this would be a trap, and had prepared. He took his time, then leaned in close.

"Key's in your right back pocket, a .22 in your left," he breathed in her ear, the pulled back. She caught his eye and nodded, almost imperceptibly.

Eli grabbed her by the nape of the neck, then pressed a hand against the gunshot wound. She cried out and fell to her knees. Gibbs twitched. It was hard for him to watch this, but Ziva was a very capable agent, he knew that.

"Come, Ziva. We have wasted enough time here." Eli ripped her to her feet and shoved her forward. Gibbs stayed where he was, keeping his eyes glued on her. He would know when it was time to move. But he had forgotten how good she was at slight of hand. Before he could blink, she had uncuffed one hand, and reached for the gun. As soon as her hands grabbed it, Gibbs went into action himself. He pulled out his own weapon and disarmed Chazan. It took longer than he expected (Chazan was a Mossad assassin, after all).

But eventually, he fell to the ground, unconscious. He looked up in time to see Ziva on the ground, unconscious as well, her father standing above her, holding her at gunpoint. Gibbs ran over silently, and pressed his own gun into the back of Eli's head.

"If you so much as think about pulling that trigger, I don't care about international politics, I will send you home in a body bag," Gibbs said icily.

**A/N: Not sure how I feel about this chapter. I may redo it later, I'm not sure. Let me know what you think!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Still don't own NCIS**

For a moment, Gibbs wasn't sure what Eli would do. Then, the director raised his hands, and let Gibbs grab the gun from him. "On your knees," Gibbs ordered, and the other man hesitated, but obeyed. Gibbs took out his spare cuffs and slapped them on the Director of Mossad. Then he knelt by his agent.

"Ziver? Ziva, you okay?" he asked quietly, and frowned at the knot forming on the side of her head. "You better be glad you're an important figure, or I'd kill you right now for attacking her," Gibbs muttered to Eli, who merely shrugged. Gibbs focused again on Ziva, who still hadn't woken. He pulled out his cell.

"Yeah, boss?" Tony's voice, slightly panicking, answered.

"DiNozzo, I need you two to call up Vance, have him meet me at Bethesda, and call an ambulance, send them to this airstrip, I'm not sure where exactly we are."

"Okay, you guys were being jammed for a while, but we can find you now. What's the ambulance for?"

"Just do it, DiNozzo!" Gibbs snapped before hanging up. He gently took his cuffs off Ziva and hurried to put them on Chazan. He wondered for a moment if he should cuff the driver as well, then decided not to. He had to figure out exactly how he was going to do this.

Back at NCIS, Tony closed his phone slowly. "What'd boss say?" Tim asked.

"Wants us to locate them and send an ambulance, then call Vance and have him meet them at Bethesda," Tony said carefully, trying not to let his worry show.

"Okay, I'll locate them and send the ambulance, you call Vance," McGee said.

"Oh what, you don't want to deal with the director at 3:30 in the morning?" Tony snapped before he could stop himself.

"Yeah, pretty much," he said with a shrug, then called 911 while typing.

Tony groaned. This was one conversation he wasn't looking forward to. He dialed the number and cringed, waiting.

"Yeah, Vance," he heard an exhausted voice answer.

"Director Vance, its Agent DiNozzo," he started.

"DiNozzo, you do realize that its almost 4 in the morning, and that normal people are usually asleep right now?" Vance demanded.

"Yes, sir, I do, but its important. Agent Gibbs needs you to meet him at Bethesda Naval Hospital," Tony said, nervously.

"Bethesda?" Vance demanded, and Tony heard him getting out of bed. "What the hell is going on, DiNozzo?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure myself. Gibbs and Ziva went with Eli David. We'd had them wired so we could listen, but they were jammed. Then Gibbs called and ordered us to call you and have you meet him at Bethesda."

"Alright. I'll be there shortly," Vance said, then hung up."

Tony looked over at McGee, who had finished his own call. "You know, I'm not usually the long goodbyes person, but once in a while one would be nice," Tony said sarcastically, making McGee laugh. "Think we should head to the hospital, too?"

"Probably. The ambulance is on its way, should be there in a few minutes. And I'd like to know what the hell is going on, and who is injured," Tim responded

"Would I be a bad person if I said I hoped it was Eli?" Tony said with a smirk, making Tim laugh as they grabbed their gear to head to the hospital.

When the two agents got there, they were surprised to find Gibbs already in the waiting room holding a cup of coffee.

"Boss!" Tony called as they ran over. As soon as they saw the worried look, they knew who it was. "Ziva?"

"Yeah. Bastard father of her's gave her a nasty knock to the head, couldn't wake her up."

"Where is he, anyway?" Tony demanded.

"In the car with Chazan. I sent a security guard out there to watch them until Vance gets here. Don't know how he wants to handle this."

"Got it, boss," the agents whispered simultaneously. The three sat staring holes into the doors Ziva had been taken through, until they heard a familiar voice.

"Agent Gibbs!" Vance yelled as soon as he walked in.

Gibbs stood wearily. "Vance," he said, nodding.

"You want to tell me why I'm at a hospital at 4:15 in the morning instead of at home in bed with my wife?" he demanded.

"Sure. Your buddy Eli David sent a hitman after Ziva. She was shot around 2100 last night, then she got a call from her father wanting to meet. She and I went, and her father threatened to kill me unless she returned with him, then he knocked her out before either of us had the chance to do anything. She hasn't woken up yet, so I'd say you have the attempted murder of two federal agents, and the attempted kidnapping of a federal agent charges that you can level against this guy," Gibbs snapped, shocking everyone with his drawn out explanation.

Vance's face hardened. His relationship with Director David had been strained after Somalia; since he was a father, he couldn't imagine leaving his daughter in the desert to die. "Where is he, Gibbs? And please tell me you didn't kill him."

"No, but it was tempting," Gibbs retorted, then tossed the limo keys to his boss. "Space 73, he's cuffed, as is the hitman, a security guard is watching them right now."

Vance simply nodded and left. The three sat down again, only to jump up when a doctor came out saying, "Family of Ziva David?"

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to get this one out there, it took me longer than I thought. Let me know what you guys think!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Don't own NCIS :-(**

The agents flashed their badges out of habit, and couldn't help but smile. The doctor noticed. "Something amusing?" he asked.

"First time someone's pronounced her name correctly the first time, is all," McGee said.

"Ah yes, well. Ms. David already corrected my pronunciation. She is a very lucky woman. The blow to her head, while very painful, I'm sure, did no damage. She does have a concussion, and will need someone to stay with her tonight, to monitor her condition and bring her back in if anything changes. Also, it appears that she was shot recently?" he asked.

Gibbs looked at his watch. "Yeah, about 6 hours ago, give or take."

"A very exciting night, huh? Well, whoever dug the bullet out and did the stitching did a good job. I prescribed a cream to help prevent infection, as well as painkillers. I would advise her to rest the next few days, but I'm willing to guess that my advice would most likely be ignored?"

"I'll make sure she takes it easy, doc," Gibbs promised. "Can we see her?"

"Of course. She'll be discharged shortly, but you can all come into the waiting room while she fills out the forms."

The team followed the doctor into her room The ER was dead so early in the morning, so she had her own room.

"David," Gibbs said, nodding in hello.

"Gibbs! I am glad to see that you are okay," she said quietly. Her head _was_ beginning to ache. "The last thing I remember was you putting the cuffs on me. What happened to Eli and Chazan?"

"I took care of them at the scene. Vance is dealing with them right now," Gibbs answered. He was curious himself to know what Leon would do, but he trusted his boss, at least in this matter.

"Need you to fill these out, Ms. David," the doctor said, handing him the forms.

She obeyed, and wrote as fast as she could. She hated hospitals, and spent as little time as possible in one. She wouldn't even have gone, but, as she was unconscious at the time, she hadn't really had a say. "Alright, well, my car is still at NCIS, so who wants to give me a ride?"

"You're staying with me tonight, Ziva," Gibbs corrected with a smile, foreseeing her reaction. "Doc says you need someone to stay with you, make sure that blow didn't do any damage."

Ziva rolled her eyes, but regretted it when it made her head pound. "Gibbs, you do not have to…."

"I know," he said. "Come on." He extended a hand to help her to her feet, and gently guided her outside. He wasn't surprised that the limo and his boss were both gone. He would ask the director in the morning, well, afternoon, what had happened. He ordered the team to take the day off, they had been working almost 24 hours straight and didn't have a case.

When Gibbs and Ziva got back to his place, he showed her to the guest room. The last person to stay there was Abby when she'd had that stalker. He hoped that this wouldn't be a recurrence, that he would always be needing to protect members of his team. But it was better than the alternative, he supposed. He handed her the smaller set of NIS sweats that he kept, and left her to get changed. When he went back into the room fifteen minutes later, he found her snoring gently on top of the covers. He smiled, and pulled the sheets over her, smoothing her hair.

He left and sat on the couch. He knew that it would be a long morning, but that was alright. As DiNozzo had pointed out earlier, they had pulled crazier hours for much less personal cases. As per the doctor's orders, he woke her periodically through the morning. For the woman who slept only a few hours a night and went for a run every morning, he was amazed at how heavy she was sleeping.

_Probably hasn't slept more than a few hours since Eli sent Chazan,_ he though angrily. He wished he could let her sleep longer, but had experience with concussions, and knew that he had to do this. _She'll sleep tonight, _he thought with a laugh.

Just as he was beginning to doze off himself, he was woken by a scream. He was on his feet and halfway to the guest room before he realized he was awake. Throwing the door open, he saw the fearless ninja in the throes of a nightmare. He calmed slightly when he saw that it wasn't Eli breaking in through the window, but knew that whatever she was dreaming about was bad. "Ziva?" he asked quietly. "Ziva, come one, you're safe. You're okay, now," he tried saying gently, and even shook her gently, then harder. But nothing was waking her up. Getting an idea, he knew that DiNozzo would laugh hysterically if this worked. "David," he barked, gently tapping the top of her head with his hand. Sure enough, her eyes snapped open, and she sat up straight. "Ziva, hey, it's okay," he said, going back to gentle now that she was awake. He expected her to deny the nightmare, or brush it off as nothing, saying that she was fine, but she surprised him. As soon as the frantic look left her eyes, they filled with tears, and she started crying. His heart split in two at the sight, and he gathered her into his arms and let her cry it out.

**A/N: Okay, so I know that this was a lot of Gibbs's POV, and some of it may have been a bit OOC, but I thought it fit. Let me know what you thought.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Not mine**!

As soon as she was done, she pulled back and swiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, then gave a watery chuckle when Gibbs handed her a handkerchief. "Thank you," she whispered. Then, stronger, she continued. "I am sorry, Gibbs. I should not have done that."

Gibbs simply gave her a look.

"The crying, I mean. I know you haven't gotten much sleep either," she defended herself.

He shrugged. "I've had worse nights. And you know better than to break Rule 6," he said with a smile. Letting it fade, he said, "You want to talk about it?"

"It was just a dream. It was not real," she said, not looking at him.

"Yeah, pretty sure that's the definition of nightmares. But it looked pretty serious."

She sighed. "It was just a different version of a dream I have had since…Somalia," she whispered. She hung her head, ashamed of herself. She had been raised that letting others see your emotions was a sign of weakness. And weakness was not allowed, could not be allowed. So, hearing her father's voice saying that he didn't believe she had a conscience, that he didn't want her to have one was messing with her mind, which was already screwed up after Africa.

Gibbs reached over and pulled the curtain of hair away so that he could see her face. "You never talk about it," he pointed out.

"I cannot." Then she sighed again. She owed him an explanation for that, if not for Somalia. "I had wished for death. So I shut down. For months I did not feel anything. I have decided that being like that is what hell must be like. An inability to feel."

"So when your father commented on you conscience…"

"If he wants me to go through my life like I had in Saleem's camp, he is not my father. I was nearly able to forgive him for leaving me there. I mean, I have always known that to him, Israel comes before family. It is why he is so good at his job. So leaving me there, I could almost live with. But him wanting me to feel that everyday? A true father does not want that for his daughter."

"Well, that's the true meaning of family. They let you feel what you feel; the good, the bad and the ugly." He was about to continue when her cell phone rang on the table next to the bed.

She grabbed for it, looked apologetically at Gibbs, and answered it. "David."

"Agent David, this is Leon Vance."

"Director, good morning."

He laughed. "I think its closer to afternoon at this point, but yes, same to you. I was wondering if you and Agent Gibbs would come in sometime today. I know that after the events the last 12 hours you wish to rest, but we have some things to deal with."

"Of course, Director. We will be there," she said and hung up. Gibbs gave her a curious look. "Vance wants us to come in sometime today to discuss the events this morning."

Gibbs nodded. He knew that they would have to do that. "You want some more sleep? Or should I take you to your place so you can shower and change?"

"Home, please. I do not think I could fall back asleep."

"Alright, well, I'll wait for you, since your car is still at NCIS."

She was about to object, saying that she would call a cab, but she recognized the look in his eyes. It was the same one she wore at her most stubborn. She laughed. "Alright. You go do what you do in the morning, I will pick up in here."

Gibbs nodded, and fifteen minutes later, they were in his car headed to her apartment. As soon as they were inside, she pointed to the kitchen. "Help yourself, you must be hungry. I will only be a few minutes."

He went into her fridge and found half of a veggie lasagna, so he broke off two squares (one for Ziva) and stuck them in the microwave. Before he was halfway done with his, she came into the kitchen in clean clothes, her wet hair tied into a bun.

"That was fast," he commented, waving a hand at her plate.

She sat and took a bite. "I kind of want to hurry and get to NCIS. Find out what is going to happen with Eli," she said.

"Understandable."

The two finished their lunch and left. As soon as they got to NCIS, they weren't really shocked to find Tony and McGee there, waiting. "Vance call you?" Ziva asked.

"No, but we figured you'd be here sometime today to talk to him," McGee said.

"Yeah, wanted to make sure you'd be okay," Tony said quietly.

She nodded in thanks, and she and Gibbs went upstairs. "The director in?" he asked the assistant.

"Yes, he's expecting you," she said nodding him. And the two walked in to find two Directors sitting on opposite sides of the table.

**A/N: Cliffhanger, I know! But I have to get to studying for midterms, and wanted to update for you all. Love it? Hate it? Let me know!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Don't own NCIS or its cast. Sad day. **

Gibbs felt Ziva stiffen next to him as they realized Eli was in the room.

"Agent Gibbs, Agent David, have a seat," Vance said, waving his hands at the open chairs.

"I think I would prefer to stand, Director," she said, looking at Leon. She waited until Gibbs sat, and then stood behind him. She did not know why, but she felt safer when she was near him.

"Alright. Well, as I'm sure you are all aware, as Director of Mossad, Eli David has diplomatic immunity. We are not allowed to interrogate or arrest him. All we are able to do is send him back to Israel." Vance looked as upset about that as Gibbs and Ziva were. His friendship with the Director had vanished. Leaving his daughter somewhere to die was bad enough, but actively sending someone to kill her was too far. "All we could do is encourage him not to return to America. Agent David," he said suddenly. "Would you like to come with me and get some coffee? I feel very thirsty all of a sudden," he said innocently, looking at Ziva, then Gibbs, giving an almost imperceptible wink. With that, he ushered Ziva out of the room.

"Director, what is going on?" she demanded once the door closed.

"Well, as Director, my hands are tied. However, I have a feeling that Gibbs will be able to convince your father not to bother you anymore," he said with a sly smile.

Ziva returned it, and for the first time wished she was the bee on the wall. Or was it fly? Where was Tony when you needed him? She nodded thanks to the director and told him that she would be at her desk if he needed her for something.

After the door had closed, Gibbs looked at the man across from him. He could see why the man was successful, he was firm, unbending. The type of man who was used to getting what he wanted. But not this time.

"Ah, the old good cop bad cop routine, huh?" Eli said with a disgusted grunt. "In my country we do not stoop to such measures."

"Well, you aren't in your country, are you Eli?" Gibbs asked, then leaned back in his chair. "And no, apparently you just send assassins after your family. First you sent Ziva after Ari, then you sent Ben Chazan after Ziva."

"You have no right to tell me how to handle my family," Eli snapped.

Gibbs stood, the chair sliding back with the force. He'd had enough. "Yes I do! Someone has to, Eli! Ziva is your daughter. There is not a day that goes by I would not give anything to have my daughter back, and you are willing to have yours killed because she wishes to stay in America? You raised her to be a killer, you left her to die, and then you tried to have her murdered. And when none of that worked, you threatened to kill someone that she cares about in order to blackmail her into leaving with you!" Gibbs took a deep breath to calm himself.

"I wish to see her," Eli said, unflinching from Gibbs's rant.

"That's not going to happen," Gibbs laughed.

"Agent Gibbs, I will see my daughter, you will not stop me."

Gibbs sighed, then walked out of the room until he was at the banister. "Ziver!" he called where she was sitting at her desk talking to Tony and McGee, who both looked worried.

She looked up at him and he beckoned her up. As she passed Tony, he leaned in and whispered something, it looked like _It'll be okay, Ziva_ but he didn't have Abby's lip reading skills.

"Yes, Gibbs?" she asked when she got to him.

"You father wants to talk to you," he said shortly. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"No, it will be alright," she said, schooling her face into calmness.

He nodded to her, and the two walked back into the room, both doing an Oscar winning performance of acting nonchalantly.

"My daughter," Eli began, but Ziva cut him off.

"Stop it, Eli," she snapped. "You have no right to refer to me as your daughter. Not anymore."

"Ziva!" he yelled standing and walking over to her. "Whether you like it or not, whether you stay in Israel or America, you are my daughter, and I am your father."

"If you mean biologically, then yes, I am. But you have not been more then that in years, and you know it. Your job has come before your family, always, it does not matter the situation," she cried. "You are an unfeeling, heartless monster!" she yelled, all the pent up anger over the last 20 years coming forward. She was so emotional for the first time in her life, that she didn't see his arm move until she felt the sting, and heard the slap.

As soon as Eli had backhanded her, Gibbs'd had enough. Yanking out his knife, he put a hand on Eli's chest and pushed him until he was up against the wall, then pressed the knife into his throat. "You _never_ raise your hand against a woman in anger," he seethed quietly, white hot anger radiating off of him. "It does not matter if you feel she is your daughter, which clearly you do not. Now, I will tell you this once, Eli. You are on a plane back to Israel in three hours, or I will make good on my threat last night." He pressed the knife into the flesh on Eli's neck until a drop of blood appeared. "Do I make myself clear?" he demanded.

Eli nodded. He knew when to keep fighting, and when to fold. "Do not come back, Eli. Do not contact Ziva again. If she wishes to speak to you, she will contact you, though I wouldn't hold your breath. Now get out," he bit out, pulling the knife away. He kept a firm grip on Eli's jacket and practically threw him out the door, where Vance was waiting. When the Director saw Gibbs's expression, he nodded, and escorted the Director of Mossad out of the building.

**A/N: Yay, Eli is gone forever! I'll try to get the next chapter up in a day or two. Hope you enjoyed this one.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Not mine**

Gibbs turned back to Ziva, who was holding his handkerchief to her now bloody nose. She looking out the window, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Ziver?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Thank you for that," she whispered.

"Any one would have done it," he said, brushing it off.

"No, Gibbs. No one has ever done that for me," she said, still not looking at him. "No one has dared to get between him and what he wants. Especially if he is upset." She looked up to find Gibbs looking at her evenly. If he had looked at her with pity, she may have slapped him. Instead she inspected the handkerchief, seeing that her nose had stopped bleeding. She folded it tightly before throwing it in the trash. "I will get you a new one, Gibbs," she promised.

"Nah, I've got a bunch," he said with a smile. "Let's go downstairs. I'm sure McGee and DiNozzo will want to know what's going on."

She laughed in agreement and followed Gibbs out. Before they went down the stairs, though, he pulled her into a hug. She stiffened at first, then hugged him back. He kissed her temple, then whispered, "You are worth doing that for, Ziva. Don't doubt it."

She smiled, and they walked into the squad room.

"Ziva, what the hell is going on? Vance escorted your father out- Oh hey boss," Tony said as he noticed Gibbs. "What happened?" he asked, a little quieter.

Gibbs looked at Ziva, who smiled. "Eli is going back to Israel. Wait, neither of them said what was going to happen to Chazan!" she said worriedly to Gibbs.

He nodded, he had been thinking the same. But then Vance walked back up. "He's been taken care of, Ziva. Contacted the Israeli government, deported him this morning. He'll be prosecuted there."

She nodded. She had expected as much. But the last day came back to her (the last two weeks if she were being honest with herself) and she found she could barely keep her eyes open.

Gibbs smiled. "Take her back to your place, DiNozzo. Keep an eye on her," he whispered to his Senior Agent. When Tony smiled suggestively at her, he was rewarded with a head slap. "Rule 12 still applies, DiNozzo," Gibbs continued with a smile of his own.

"Got it, boss," Tony said out of habit, and looked at his partner. "Let's go, Ziva. You're asleep on your feet."

"I am not!" she objected, but then yawned widely. She grinned. "Fine, I am a little tired."

"Uh huh," Tony said with a smile as he draped his arm over her shoulders and led him out of the building. They got in his car and went to his apartment, realizing that they left her car at NCIS again, which made them both laugh. "Its still early. I'll take you to get it later."

She nodded, and they walked in. She nearly collapsed on the couch and started snoring. Tony rolled his eyes. It always amused him how loudly she snored. Though, this wasn't nearly as bad as it had been on their undercover op. Had she just been trying to annoy him? Well, it had worked. He sat in his recliner and turned on a movie, though he was out after the opening credits; it had been a long two days for him, too.

He woke about two hours later and looked at the clock. It was nearly dinner time. He called up his favorite Chinese place and ordered their meals, then went to wake up Ziva. He double checked that she didn't have any weapons in her hands (he learned to do that years ago, it was second nature to him now). About to shake her, he saw a bruise forming on her face. Looking closely, he realized that she recently had a nosebleed. His hands curled into fists. That was why Eli looked so pissed when he left. Tony put two and two together. Eli must have attacked Ziva (again) and Gibbs refused to put up with that, so he must have gone after Eli. Tony nearly laughed again, if the situation weren't so serious. What he wouldn't have given to see Gibbs go native on the guy.

He reached over and shook her slightly. "Ziva?" He forgot that Ziva herself was a weapon when she didn't have one, and as soon as she woke, his wrist was twisted away from her. "Ziva, I'm going to need that hand," he pointed out with a groan.

"Tony, I am sorry," she said quietly, letting him go.

"I've had worse from you. And Rule 6," he pointed out.

"Right," she said, sitting up. "How long was I out?"

"A little over two hours. I ordered dinner for us."

Ziva nodded and the two turned the movie back on. When the food got there, Tony let Ziva pay, but only because she threatened bodily harm if he didn't. When the movie was over, he noticed that she had barely touched her food. "Not hungry?" he asked lightly.

"Not really," she replied shortly. She looked at the food, then pushed it away with a sigh.

Tony leaned over to look in her eyes. He saw the worry and confusion there. Someone not used to her would believe that she was okay, but Tony had spent nearly every day over the last few years with her. He knew better.

"What's on your mind?" He thought he would give her the chance to explain without giving her the third degree.

"Nothing, Tony. I am fine."

This time, Tony let himself laugh. English may not be her first language, but she could speak the language of women fairly well. Every woman he knew said she was fine when it was clear she wasn't. "Nice try, my ninja, but you aren't."

"And what makes you think that?" she asked, curious.

"Well, let's see. You haven't eaten more than four bites of that, and its your favorite. Your brow is furrowed, which means you're thinking hard about something. You're frowning, which means you are worried about something. Oh, and you haven't sat within two feet of me since we walked in, which means you are feeling insecure about something. Now, it would be nice if you would tell me what all these 'somethings' are." He kept his voice light, but no less serious.

She stared at him in amazement. He loved to brag that he was a top investigator, and often proved it, but she had no idea how close attention he paid to what was around him, especially to her. She took a deep breath. "I- today was difficult. With Eli, you know?"

"What happened?" When she hesitated, he pushed. "Ziva, you have a bruise forming on your face, and I could tell that you had a nosebleed recently. Now, add that to the fact that Eli look furious when he left, and that Gibbs looked pretty upset when you guys came down, I'm guessing that something pretty serious happened in the director's office?" he asked softly.

She met his eyes, and saw the pity there, which made her mad. She was too strong to be pitied. "Yes, Tony, he hit me and I let him!" she yelled, standing up. "Like the weak disappointment that I am, I let him give me a damn nosebleed and Gibbs had to step in for me. Is that what you wanted to hear, that your partner can't take care of herself?"

**A/N: Uh oh, Ziva's upset...**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Still don't own it**

Tony stared at her in shock. He wasn't expecting her to jump to that conclusion. And he was a little shocked that someone had the gall to hit one of the team in front of Gibbs. "Ziva, that wasn't what I was thinking-"

"Whatever, Tony. You are right. I can't take care of myself, I think I proved that today."

"That's bull and you know it," he snapped.

"Oh, really, then why did I let my father, my FATHER hit me in full view of Gibbs and not do anything to stop him?" she demanded.

"You were in shock, I mean, its not every day that a father gives his child a nosebleed-" he trailed off when he saw anger leave her face, and be replaced by shame. "Or maybe it was everyday?" he asked, careful to keep the pity out of his tone and his face.

"Used to be, and I never stopped him. I welcomed it, as long as it meant that he left Tali alone." She stood and walked over to the window.

"Ziva," Tony called. When she didn't respond, he raised his voice. "Ziva, look at me!" She spun and stared at him. He stood and walked over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I know that you don't get this upset unless something is seriously bothering you. What's wrong?"

She bit her lip. "I am embarrassed," she confessed.

"Why?" he asked, keeping eye contact.

"Because, my father always said that hitting someone in the face is as demeaning as kicking a dog. So, for Gibbs to see that, I-" she trailed off, and turned her head so that he couldn't see her eyes shining with tears.

Tony swallowed. "What did Gibbs do?" he asked, steering her back to the couch, and putting room between them.

"I yelled at Eli, he backhanded me, and Gibbs grabbed him, threw him into the wall and pressed a knife into his throat, telling him to leave and never come back."

Tony nodded. "Sounds like Gibbs," he said with a smile. "So, you're worried that Gibbs'll think less of you?"

She just nodded. "Him, and you," she admitted.

"I'm not going to think any less of you, Ziva. Look," he sighed. "I understand. My father used to knock me around a bit after my mom died, and after each of his divorces. It sucks, and it makes you feel like you're a kid again."

"So, you understand, but will Gibbs?" she demanded.

"A few years before you came here, we were called into a child abuse case. The victim was a teenager, but it had been going on for years. Gibbs nearly tore the guy apart. Child abusers are one kind of perp that rubs him raw. He's not going to side with Eli, Ziva. He's got your back, and so do I." When she didn't look convinced, he sighed. "Look, if you're still worried, just go and talk to him…AFTER you eat," he said with a smile, handing her the plate.

She forced a laugh. She still was worried, but was relieved that Tony understood. Or at least, cared enough to say he did. The two ate in silence, then Tony put on another movie while Ziva cleaned her guns. After a while, he decided to join her, as he hadn't cleaned his in a while. They didn't speak, until Ziva's curiosity got the better of her.

"You said your father 'knocked you around'?" she asked quietly.

Tony's hands froze mid stroke, then he continued with a bit more force. "Yeah. He took Mom's death pretty hard and was left with a little kid. I rarely saw him, since I was in boarding schools, and most of the time things were alright between us. But there were times, usually after another one of his divorces, when he would have no other outlet."

Ziva nodded, her gaze on the gun in her hands. She had figured that it would be something like that. "So, I shall ask a question you once asked me: First time you realized Daddy wasn't perfect?"

Tony stared at her and laughed. "Wow, I hadn't thought about that day in the container in a while. We were stuck there for what, hours? Well, to answer the question, I was six. I caught my dad having an affair. But my mom was sick, and he told me that telling her would make her worse, so I didn't." He paused. He was never sure if he had done the right thing. "So, Ziva, how about you? First time he wasn't perfect?"

Ziva's hands also froze on her gun as she remembered that day. "I was ten. My father had hit Ari and I pretty regularly, and even though it bothered me, I never questioned it. He claimed it was to help us become better Mossad officers. But then," she chocked slightly, then cleared her throat. "He hit Tali. She didn't remember it, she was too young. But I walked in right after, and I saw her crying, and I flew into a rage and attacked my father. I couldn't sit for a week after he was done. And from then on, I took the punishment for Tali, somewhat selfishly, since I felt I could handle the pain better than seeing her in pain, you know?" she finished.

Tony nodded. He could easily see a young Ziva, standing up for her baby sister. He set his gun down and reached over, taking hold of one of hers. "You're a good person, Ziva. Don't let Eli make you believe otherwise."

She smiled at him, squeezing his hand in thanks. She felt much better than she had earlier, but she still needed to talk to Gibbs, make sure things were okay with the two of them. "Thank you, Tony. This has helped. But we both have work tomorrow, so would you mind taking me to get my car?"

"Sure thing," he said, grabbing his keys. They got to the NCIS parking lot, and she paused before getting out.

"Tony, I do not get emotional often, but I appreciate what you did for me tonight. I am glad we are partners, and friends."

He grinned. "Me, too, Zi. I'll see you in the morning?"

She nodded and got into her car, once again grateful for her team.

**A/N: Ick Ick Ick! Okay, so my muse decided to take a vacation, and I can't stand this chapter, but I wanted to get it out there for you all. Please don't hate me for the suckiness, I'll make the next one better, I promise. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Do not own NCIS**

The next day, Ziva woke at 0500 with her alarm as usual. When she got to the bathroom, she groaned, finding that she had a massive bruise on her face. Shaking her head, she went out for her morning run, which normally calmed her, but not today. As soon as she returned to her apartment, she jumped in the shower, then got dressed. Finally, staring at herself in the mirror, she grabbed the concealer. She had perfected how to do this as a teenager, but hadn't done it since she moved out of her father's houses. She spent half an hour, finally giving up when she saw that it was the best she'd get.

She smoothed her hair nervously on her way to the car. The only people who knew what happened were Gibbs and Tony, and she wanted to keep it like that. What kind of crazy ninja chick (to use Tony's words) lets people walk all over her? She took her time getting into work, not surprised that she was the first one in, she usually was. Her or Gibbs, who came walking in behind her.

"You're here early, Ziva," he commented, handing her a tea.

"Thank you, Gibbs," she said as she took a sip, and sighed. He remembered her favorite. She was about to ask him something when his cell phone rang, and both Tony and McGee walked in.

Gibbs snapped his phone shut. "Got a dead marine in Rock Creek Park, grab your gear," he barked. Ziva hurried to grab her bag, the other two not having had time to set them down yet. It was a tension filled drive for her, as she tried to keep her face hidden from McGee, Ducky, and Palmer; she wasn't sure how good of a job her makeup did hiding the bruises. Once they got on scene, Gibbs started barking out orders.

"McGee, witness statements; DiNozzo, bag and tag; David, photos."

They went to work while Ducky and Palmer examined the body. "Got a TOD, Duck?" Gibbs asked, opening his notebook.

"I would say about 24 hours ago." Ducky said, checking the liver temp.

"And a COD?" Gibbs continued.

"Well, this is just preliminary, but I would be willing to assume that this young woman died from blunt force trauma. See this?" he asked, pointing to a part of her skull. "Yes, it looks like a baseball bat or a pole was used."

"Someone bashed her head in," Gibbs said quietly.

"Yes, precisely. But, our young Marine did attempt to fight back. Numerous defensive wounds, split knuckles, swelling on the forearms, as though she tried to throw them up to protect her face, like this," Ducky demonstrated, crossing his arms in front of his face.

"Got it, Duck," Gibbs said, writing. "Anything else?"

"I don't believe so, Jethro," Ducky said.

"Wait," Ziva said, as he and Palmer were about to move the body. She knelt, looking at the face, neck and arms.

"Notice something, David?" Gibbs asked.

Ziva swallowed. This was not the case she needed right now. "Yeah, boss. There's signs of prior assault here."

Ducky turned to her quickly, and knelt next to her. "What do you see, my dear?"

"See, this much foundation on skin as clear as hers? She's hiding bruises." Getting an idea, she looked at the ME. "Turn her over?" she asked.

He nodded. "Mr. Palmer, if you be so kind." The two of them turned her onto her stomach.

"What is it, Ziva?" Gibbs asked, kneeling next to her.

"The one place many women never think to put makeup," she said quietly, and brushed the woman's hair away from her neck. Sure enough, there were bruises on the back of her neck.

Ducky leaned in for a closer look. "You were correct about the prior assault. These bruises are at least a week old," he told Gibbs, who was studying Ziva's face. She flushed slightly at the close scrutiny, so she stood and continued taking photos.

As soon as they were all done, they went back to NCIS, and Gibbs took the evidence down to the lab.

"Hey, Abs," he called, and handed her a CAF POW! and the box of evidence.

"Wow, all this evidence _and _a CAF POW! Is it Christmas?" she asked excitedly.

"Don't think so. If it were, you'd be much more distracted," he pointed out with a smile and left, headed for Autopsy. Walking in, Ducky looked up.

"You're much too early, Jethro, we have only just begun," the ME protested. Gibbs just gave him one of the looks, and Ducky sighed. "Mr. Palmer, would you be so kind and take the samples we have so far to Abigail?"

"Of course, doctor," Jimmy said, and left.

"Alright, Jethro, what is on your mind?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you could find out what's going on in Ziva's."

"Hm, yes. She did seem a bi rattled at the crime scene. So you want….what? My opinion, my observations?"

"Yeah, that would be good," Gibbs said.

"Alright," Ducky said, sitting in his chair. "She did seem a bit, let's say unnerved, which is unusual her. Her knowledge of where to look for bruises, the thick makeup, especially since her's was also unusually heavy today. I would recommend you tread softly, Jethro. It seems there is more going on here than just memories of her recent captivity in Somalia. Something further in her past, perhaps."

"Thanks, Duck," Gibbs said, walking out. He grabbed a fresh coffee, and hurried into the squad room.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: Running out of different ways of saying it, but I don't own NCIS**

"What do we got?" Gibb asked.

"We have 21 year old Heather Slaughter. No jokes," Ziva said, directing the last comment at Tony, who closed his mouth with a sheepish grin. "Second generation Marine, father was dishonorably discharged ten years ago."

"Got in touch with Slaughter's CO, boss, was about to leave and interview her," Tony said.

"Go. Go talk to her," Gibbs said, and Tony hurried to grab his bag. "Take McGee." As soon as both agents left, he went to Ziva's desk. "You gonna be okay with this case?"

Ziva looked up at him in shock. While she had been asking herself that, she knew that assignments weren't optional, they were simply assigned. She took a deep breath and looked at her boss. "I will be. And do not worry, I will not let my personal feelings affect my job."

He nodded to her and sat at his desk, wondering if anyone could be that level headed about this. But if any of his agents could be, it'd be Ziva. He shook himself from his thoughts and got to work. Tony and McGee came back from talking to the CO, who hadn't told them anything useful, so he and Ziva went to talk to the family.

"Mom died in a car accident last year, and her brother is overseas in Iraq," Ziva told him as they got out of the car. Gibbs nodded and knocked on the door. After waiting a minute, he knocked again. Finally the door creaked open.

"Whaddya want?" the man slurred, the almost overpowering reek of alcohol hitting the agents.

"Mr. Slaughter? NCIS," Gibbs said, flashing his badge as Ziva did the same. "Agent Gibbs, Agent David, we'd like to talk to you about your daughter."

"Whathaz that lil bitch done now? Haven't heard from her in a while," the man said. The hairs on her neck were starting to rise, but Ziva pushed the feeling back. "Well, you tell her, I ain't gonna bail her outta whatever trouble she's in."

"That won't be an issue. She's dead," Gibbs said, hard. Hadn't he dealt with enough crappy fathers this week?

The man froze. "How? When?"

"Early yesterday, around 6am. She was found in Rock Creek Park," Ziva told him. "You mind if we come in?"

The man shrugged and stepped aside so the agents could walk in. To say the place was dismal would be an understatement. It was beyond trashed. Beer cans littered every surface, take out boxes and pizza boxes, some still had pieces in them where he appeared to be growing penicillin.

"Mike Slaughter," he said by way of introduction. "So, how did she die?" he asked gruffly.

"Murdered," Gibbs said simply. When Mike's expression didn't change, Gibbs continued. "We won't know exactly how until the autopsy is finished. Did your daughter have any enemies?"

"Don't know," he grunted. "We didn't talk much."

Ziva handed him their cards. "If you think of anything that could help us, please call."

He simply nodded, popped open another beer and glanced pointedly at the door. The agents took the less than subtle hint, and left. As soon as they were in the car, Ziva let out a breath. "That man is a Marine?" she asked.

"I know I say there's no such thing as an ex-Marine, but in this case…" Gibbs's voice trailed off, and Ziva understood.

They got back to the Navy Yard; Ziva went to the squad room to help the other two, and Gibbs went to check on Ducky's progress.

"Ah, Jethro, you always have good timing," the ME said with a smile as Jimmy finished sewing the body.

"And why is that, Duck?"

"Well, because I have some information you may find interesting. My original prognosis of COD was correct. This young woman died from blunt force trauma. I found particles in the wound and sent them up to Ms. Scuito. Now, for the interesting part. I kept in mind what Agent David said about prior abuse, and found that she was correct, more so than even she probably thought."

"What do you mean?" Gibbs was confused.

"I found healed breaks, Jethro. Ribs, wrist, arm. Classic bones that get broken from an abusive partner. Or, in this case, parent."

"It was her father?"

"Or mother. But my guess would be father, it would take a great deal of strength, and all of the breaks have occurred on a seemingly regular basis since childhood."

Gibbs closed his eyes and steadied himself on the table. _The bastard, _he thought._ No one has the right to do that. _Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes. "How long since the most recent breaks?"

"Well, there were several breaks that were perimortem. But it seems that there was about two years since the last break."

"The Corps was safer for her than her home," he muttered.

"So it would seem."

"Thanks, Duck," Gibbs said as he walked out. He hurried to grab a CAF POW! and went to Abby's lab. "What do you got for me, Abs?" he asked as he entered.

"Gibbs! Okay, so I have some results for you. First, I examined the clothing, which was what you'd expect for a twenty one year old female Marine. But, here's the strange thing, I found beer residue on her shirt; but when I did the tox screen, there was no alcohol in her system."

"Killer spilt his drink on her," Gibbs concluded quietly.

"That's what I thought," she said with a grin. "Now, I examined the particles found in the head wound, and ran them. Its maple. I ran it through the system, and its from a baseball bat."

"That's good work, Abs," he said, turning to leave.

"Wait, I have one more thing!" she said quickly. "I said that there wasn't any alcohol in her system, but the tox screen did find something interesting. Heather Slaughter is one hell of a Marine, Gibbs. I found Ketamine in her system. Enough to knock her out twice over, but from the defensive wounds Ducky found, she had to have developed at tolerance for the stuff. And for her to have built up that resistance, it would have taken years, Gibbs."

Gibbs leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. "That's why you're my favorite," he whispered and went back to the squad room.

**A/N: As always, let me know what you think please!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: Still don't own it :-(**

**A/N: Wow, nearly 12,00 views on this story so far. You guys rock!**

"What do we got?" he asked.

Ziva stood. "Well, Mike said that he hadn't talked to his daughter in two days, but from his cell phone records, he spoke to her an hour before she died."

"Got it. Ducky said that there have been breaks from abuse going back to childhood, and Abby said that she was drugged, but had developed a tolerance, which would mean that she was exposed to it regularly. I think we should pick up the dad," Gibbs told them. "Gear up."

The team hurried to obey, and soon they were speeding to the house. As soon as they got there, Gibbs thought hard. The man used to be a Marine, was normally a drunken mess, and most likely a child abuser. This had the possibility of getting ugly.

"Alright, David with me, you two go around back." They all double checked their bullet proof vests and pulled out their SIGs. As they approached the front door, Gibbs glanced at Ziva. "You okay to do this?" he asked.

She stared at him in astonishment. "Gibbs, this is my job. The guy is a piece of crap, and there's no way I am going to let him get away with this. Of course I will be fine."

He would have pushed, but then he heard Tony's voice. "Ready to move on your mark, boss." He shut his mouth and nodded to her, then raised his hand and pounded on the door.

"Mike Slaughter, NCIS, open up!" he called loudly. Then they heard a gun being cocked. Ziva tackled Gibbs as a bullet tore through the door, right where he had been standing. They both turned as they hit the ground, guns aimed at the door, and two more shots ripped through the now splintered door.

"I ain't going to prison!" he yelled. "She deserved it, said she was shipping off to Afghanistan. I couldn't let her leave me. She wasn't allowed to leave me, not ever!" he screamed possessively.

"Mike, I got three other agents here. What are the chances of you leaving here alive unless you put down your weapon?" Gibbs called threateningly.

The sound of a gun clattering on the floor shocked them, and Gibbs slowly opened the door. "Boss?" McGee asked nervously, wanting orders.

Gibbs and Ziva went in, guns still ready, to find the man sitting on a chair, head in his hands, shoulders shaking with sobs. "Hold, DiNozzo," Gibbs ordered, then turned to the man in front of him. "Mike Slaughter, I am placing you under arrest for the murder of Heather Slaughter." He pulled out his cuff and holstered his SIG. When he went around behind him, the man rose suddenly and tackled Ziva. She had been caught off guard, and he shoved her onto her back, which caused the stitches to tear. Biting back a scream of pain, she let her instincts take over. When he raised a fist to strike her with, she used her free hand to break his nose, then rammed the butt of her gun into his temple. When he fell unconscious, she looked up at Gibbs, who gave her a hand to help her to her feet. She ignored it and stood, then winced as she felt blood running down her back. She looked out the window as Gibbs cuffed Mike, and Tony and Tim walked in.

"Ziva?" she heard Gibbs ask.

"I am fine," she said curtly.

He nodded, able to tell that she didn't want to talk just yet. "You need Ducky to look at your back?"

"Yes, I believe some stitches were torn when I fell," she said, and walked out.

They hurried to leave, the other three to deal with the perp, and Ziva went down to Autopsy, where Ducky was about to cut into a new victim.

"Ah, Ziva, I thought you had a suspect, do you need more information on the victim?" he asked, confused.

Ziva gently peeled off her jacket. "No, Ducky. But I believe that I may have torn some stitches this afternoon when we apprehended him. Do you have a moment?"

"Of course, my dear. My living patients are always more important than my cold ones," he said warmly, putting on fresh gloves and grabbing the necessary instruments. As he went to work, Ziva zoned out, not even noticing when the ME was done until he taped gauze over the wound.

"I am sorry, Ducky, did you say something?" she asked, aware that she had been rude.

But Ducky just chuckled slightly. "Not a problem, dear. You have had an interesting week. I was simply wondering how you are holding up. I am sure this case was difficult for you."

"What makes you say that?" she asked harshly, stepping down from the table and putting her shirt back on.

"I have been close to this team long enough to learn a bit about investigating. And I am able to see that you yourself are wearing thick makeup today, and your father was here yesterday. You reacted interestingly to the victim when we found her, and Jethro appeared worried. Now, all of that could be considered coincidence, but as Agent Gibbs would say…"

"There is no such thing," she finished with a whisper. "I am sorry, Ducky. I did not mean to act that way, it is just-"

"Been a long week. I understand, my dear. Now, you should go home and rest, you look worn out." Ziva nodded and turned to leave, when Ducky stopped her. "This may not be my place, Ziva, but you should talk to someone. It could be Abigail, Anthony, Jethro, anyone. But you cannot keep all of this bottled up inside of you," he said, concerned.

She looked at him in amazement, then gripped his shoulder in thanks. "I will keep that in mind, Ducky."

When she got back up to the squad room, she was surprised to see only Tim there. "Where's boss and Tony?"

"Tony's booking Slaughter, and Gibbs is in MTAC, contacting Heather's brother in Iraq."

She winced, and did not envy her boss. That would be one hell of a transmission, to say that his sister is dead and their father killed her? That would hurt. Before she could say something, Time continued. "Boss told me to tell you to do your report tomorrow. He wants you to go home, and said that if you're still here when he comes down he won't be happy."

She nodded, she had figured as much. "Alright, McGee, thanks," she said, and went to her desk. Writing a quick note, she dropped it on Gibbs's desk, and left.

**A/N 2: I couldn't resist putting in a little Ziva/ Ducky moment :-P. Think it was a bit OOC? I'm never sure with Ducky, he can still surprise me. Let me know what you think!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: Still don't and never did own NCIS**

When Gibbs came down from MTAC, he looked at the only agent in the squad room. "Tony still booking him?" he asked. When Tim nodded, he continued. "Ziva?"

"Ducky stitched her up, and she left. She left something on your desk, though."

Gibbs sat and looked at the paper with her precise script.

_Gibbs, I was wondering if you would have time to talk after you left NCIS today? I would be happy to bring food to your house for dinner. Just call me when you get off and I will pick it up. _

_-Ziva_

Gibbs read it twice and smiled. He knew that sometimes dealing with his team was like hunting; you couldn't approach them or they'd run. But if you were patient enough, they would come to you. He looked at the clock. It was almost 5pm. Still early, but it had been an exciting day.

"Go home, McGee. Been a long day," he said, and held back the grin when Tim's face lit up.

"Really, boss? I mean, I could finish this report before I -"

"Go; Tony and Ziva are turning theirs in tomorrow, you can, too. Now go home and get some rest," he said. McGee nodded and grabbed his bag before boss could change his mind. Gibbs stood and stretched, then pulled out his SIG and badge. Clipping them on, he pulled out his cell and called Ziva.

"David," she answered.

"Ziva, its Gibbs. I was thinking Indian food tonight. You know what I like, right?"

"Yes. I will be over there soon," she said quietly, and hung up. She called ahead and picked up dinner, then drove to Gibbs's house. Parking outside, she hesitated. She knew it was a bit irrational to think, but she still worried what Gibbs thought about their interaction with Eli the other day. But, there wasn't anything she could do beyond talking to him. Taking a deep breath, she got out of her car and walked into the house. When she didn't see him, she went down the stairs to the basement, where he was sanding the boat.

"You left sooner than I thought you would," she commented as she set the bags down.

He handed her a beer and started pulling out the cartons. "Well, it was nearly time to go, and I had told you and Tony to finish your reports tomorrow, so I told Tim to finish his tomorrow as well. I think its been a long day for everyone."

She nodded and took a drink. She opened her mouth to say something, but chickened out and took another swallow of her beer.

Gibbs grinned. "I know that you're as quite as me sometimes, but you were the one that said you wanted to talk, remember?" When she didn't respond, he sighed. "How you holding up, Ziver?"

"Not so good. Last three days have stuck."

He chuckled. "Stunk?"

"Yes, that," she replied with a smile. She knew how the team loved to correct her English.

"Why don't you just tell me what's on your mind?" he suggested.

Her smile fell, as did her gaze. She studied the beer in her hands. "Gibbs, you were the only one there in the director's office with Eli and me. You saw the…scene he made." As she searched for words, she took a bite.

"You wanted to know what I thought of you and Eli," he concluded, also starting to eat.

She looked up to meet his gaze, then lowered it again and nodded. "No one ever saw except family, and everyone knew not to intervene."

He set down his food with a sigh. "You're worried I'll think less of you because of what I saw?" When she nodded mutely again, he frowned. "Ziva, you've been on my team for over four years. I have seen you disarm bombs that are about to explode, take down suspects three times you size, and I saw you after being kept in prison camp for months. You are one of the strongest people I've met. You have a history, we all do. It doesn't make you weak."

She looked up again, and before she could stop, she found herself protesting. "But I did not stop him, Gibbs. You had to do it for me!"

"I would have done that even if you had. I've always wondered what my daughter Kelly would be like if she'd had a chance to grow up. I like to think that she would be like you. I see you as my daughter, Ziva. I never had the chance to protect Kelly, but I like to think that I can still help you out when you need it."

"So…you do not think less of me for not stopping it?" she asked.

"No, I don't," he said firmly. It was the truth; he wouldn't lie about that.

She nodded, and took another drink. "Thank you, Gibbs," she said quietly.

He nodded, and the two ate in silence; Ziva finally realizing the true meaning of family as she looked up and smiled at her 'father'.

FIN

**A/N: Hope the Gibbs/Ziva conversation was worth the wait! I loved writing this story, and thanks to all of you for making it fun to write, and thank you for all of the wonderful reviews. I have another story in mind for NCIS, but it may be a week or so before the first chapter is up, so stay tuned!**


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